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Showcase songs and albums for a digital audio system?

lattiboy

lattiboy

Well-Known Member
Hi all,

I primarily use Tidal, but since getting a fancier DAC (Topping DX7s) I’m expanding my FLAC collection. If I’m going to go to all this trouble, I thought I’d ask specifically what albums or songs really show off a good digital audio system. I’m guessing detail or subtle harmonic stuff is probably the best metric for a digital music showcase, but I’ll leave that decision to you lovely people!

Problem is almost every post and article about sound quality eventually has you owing a blood debt to the Triad to find this one vinyl pressing by a guy named Johann only available in Circuit City for a week in 1995.

Here’s my recommendations so far:

Sigur Ros - ( )
Al Green - Lay It Down
Kayne West - The Life of Pablo
The Lumineers - The Lumineers
Radiohead - Kid A
Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion
Tom Waits - Alice
Kamasi Washington - The Epic
REM - In Time
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
The Cars - Complete Greatest Hits
Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S.

PS not super concerned with it being actual DSD audio, but not averse to it. Just looking for good, digitally available releases (CDs or actual digital) that showcase the technology.

PPS if we could possibly avoid anything by Steely Dan, Diana Krall, the Eagles, and Dire Straits, that would be SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Lots of Beck stuff is well done...I particularly like some tracks off The Information album
M Ward
Beatles remasters
The Doors - Riders on the storm
Clapton unplugged
 
lattiboy said:
PPS if we could possibly avoid anything by Steely Dan, Diana Krall, the Eagles, and Dire Straits, that would be SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Easily enough accomplished: Don't spin any of 'em.

PS: Did you intentionally exclude Pink Floyd from your PPS -- your list of what not to hear?
 
lattiboy said:
Hi all,

I primarily use Tidal, but since getting a fancier DAC (Topping DX7s) I’m expanding my FLAC collection. If I’m going to go to all this trouble, I thought I’d ask specifically what albums or songs really show off a good digital audio system. I’m guessing detail or subtle harmonic stuff is probably the best metric for a digital music showcase, but I’ll leave that decision to you lovely people!

Problem is almost every post and article about sound quality eventually has you owing a blood debt to the Triad to find this one vinyl pressing by a guy named Johann only available in Circuit City for a week in 1995.

Here’s my recommendations so far:

Sigur Ros - ( )
Al Green - Lay It Down
Kayne West - The Life of Pablo
The Lumineers - The Lumineers
Radiohead - Kid A
Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion
Tom Waits - Alice
Kamasi Washington - The Epic
REM - In Time
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
The Cars - Complete Greatest Hits
Old Crow Medicine Show - O.C.M.S.

PS not super concerned with it being actual DSD audio, but not averse to it. Just looking for good, digitally available releases (CDs or actual digital) that showcase the technology.

PPS if we could possibly avoid anything by Steely Dan, Diana Krall, the Eagles, and Dire Straits, that would be SO GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Recommending an "add":

XTC
Skylarking
(Virgin 1986)

The JAP release (1986) on CeeDee is a good 'un for the purpose you've outlined.
 
Mystic said:
Easily enough accomplished: Don't spin any of 'em.

PS: Did you intentionally exclude Pink Floyd from your PPS -- your list of what not to hear?
Click to expand...

That’s a solid addition! Throw the Beatles in there too!

Honestly, just don’t need to hear the same recommendations that show up on every audio forum ever because it’s what was popular during the adolescences of the median age guy on an audio forum.....
 
lattiboy said:
That’s a solid addition! Throw the Beatles in there too!

Honestly, just don’t need to hear the same recommendations that show up on every audio forum ever because it’s what was popular during the adolescences of the median age guy on an audio forum.....
Click to expand...

That's what I figured. :thumbsup:
 
lattiboy said:
That’s a solid addition! Throw the Beatles in there too!

Honestly, just don’t need to hear the same recommendations that show up on every audio forum ever because it’s what was popular during the adolescences of the median age guy on an audio forum.....
Click to expand...

I recommended the Beatles. I was negative 20 years old when their first album came out ;)
Only reason I recommended them is their REMASTERS are VERY well done. I'd check them out if you have not. Significant differences can be heard from the original releases.

Anyway, hope you get some use out of any of my other recommendations. I should have more to come, but following this for now...
 
My 3 Red Book CD`s of Flim & the BB`s, Gerry Mulligan, various(some are the usual suspects, that you`re not interested in.) artist`s/bands MFSL, SACD`s & BR Pure Audio discs played through my OPPO UDP 203`s S/PDIF coax, or audio only HDMI digital signal depending on what can be decoded to where the digital signal is going to..

The only recent audio purchase that`s been added to my audio system is the Pro-Ject DAC, so all the SQ testing/evaluation using digital media on my reference living room`s system was done over ten yr.`s ago, and anytime somebody want`s to hear a specific disc, or digital file, either they bring their own, or they look through my typed list to see if what they want to hear is here.

My Integra A/V/P preamp has decoded everything that I`ve sent it`s way in the 10 yr.`s of ownership..

But my Pro-Ject DAC`s purpose is that`s used for sending decoded audio to my house`s distributed to 6 room`s audio systems that`s used for decoding my WAV. recorded music doesn`t have a HDMI input .

Ciao
 
Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La

Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat

Agnes Obel - Citizen of Glass

The Doobie Brothers - Toulouse Street

Dire Straits - Communique

Eagles - The Studio Albums (great download from HD Tracks, all in 24/96 FLAC)
 
Kraftwerk have remastered all their old tapes at Kling Klang which sound good,
King Crimson remasters by Steve Wilson & Mr Fripp are nice.
Abbey Road Studios Beatles remasters circa 2009 had Sir Paul's stamp of approval (not so keen on the 50th anniv. Giles Martin remasters).
Bob Ludwig's late 60's early 70's Rolling Stones ABKCO remasters are brilliant.
Bob Ludwig's Talking Heads greatest hits. (I wish he'd remaster their whole catalogue)
Buena Vista Social Club, especially the title track to hear an old Cuban piano creaking away. Best piano recording I've heard.
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
 
I'll second Porcupine Tree!
Donald Fagen-Nightfly
Bryan Ferry- Boys and Girls "remaster", Mamouna
Dire Straits-Brothers in arm
Supertramp- Crime of the century
Beck- Sea change
 
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